Equinox
by Writeous
Summary: Kronos has finally gotten Percy out of the way, but not in the means you would expect. Formerly A Blast to the Past.
1. Chapter 1

Percy spun, slamming Riptide's hilt into the back of some enemy demigod's head. He didn't even bother to mutter a quick apology to them as they crumpled in a heap to the ground.

_Annabeth, Annabeth, Annabeth_. She had to be okay. She_ had_ to.

Percy turned to his next opponent. A _dracaena_. Its sharpened fangs were bared, and its forked tongue flicked out from between its teeth. Scarlet snake eyes were narrowed behind the slits in its helmet. It held a net and trident in its hands, wielding them both threateningly at him.

_Annabeth, Annabeth, Annabeth._ He had to get to her.

Wanting to get this over with, Percy lunged, using his sword to find vulnerable chinks in the snake woman's green armor.

The _dracaena_ was clearly not expecting the quick attack, and it lurched back as Riptide sliced shallowly against its scaly skin. Letting out a low hiss, it gathered itself, coiling back before throwing the net at Percy. He jumped back, barely dodging it, before slashing at it with his own sword. The finely threaded web of Celestial Bronze quivered with the force of the blow, but held firm.

Percy let out a small groan of frustration as the _dracaena_ yanked it away, changing tactics by charging straight at him instead. Percy gave a startled yelp, (which he seriously hoped no one could hear), and jumped back. The _dracaena_ tripped as its own momentum carried it too far, and he used the distraction to disarm the snake woman, hooking Riptide around the prongs of its trident and forcing it down, exactly like Luke had taught him a million years ago.

The_ dracaena'_s weapon clattered down to the cracked pavement. He pushed the snake woman to the ground, raising his sword to stab the creature. Then, he stopped cold.

The monster was staring just over his shoulder, red eyes widening at whatever was distracting it from its inevitable death. Slowly, its look of blatant fear morphed into a small leer. "_Farewell._" It hissed. "_Son of Poseidon."_

Percy brought the sword down as the creature snickered, and the _dracaena_ dissolved into sulfurous sand.

He whirled to face what was behind him. A rush of anger rose in his chest when he saw who it was. "Kronos." Percy spit out.

The Titan smiled in a way that wolves would when they found wounded prey. His golden eyes had an unhealthy sheen to them, making them almost mirror-like. His fingers danced along Backbiter.

In the back of Percy's mind, he registered how the battle around them had gotten eerily quiet.

"Perseus Jackson." He drawled, giving him a bored once-over. "You had the courage to visit the Styx, I've heard." He cocked an eyebrow arrogantly.

"Yeah, Goldy." Percy growled. "That means your stupid sword can't touch me. Bit more even ground, don't you think?"

Kronos's eyes bored into his. "Clever plan, boy. Did Annabeth think it up?"

Hatred flared in Percy, but he forced it down. He had to keep calm, come up with a plan. But that had always been Annabeth's job…

"Oh, touchy subj-" Kronos was abruptly cut off as his eyes flashed to a clear baby blue for a split-second, before reverting back to gold. Kronos snarled. "However, Perseus," He continued, "a fact that you failed to note was that you were my prime target-"

"Duh." Percy interrupted, rolling his eyes. "That was kinda the point."

Kronos glowered. "Well," he said. "Now that you're invincible." Contempt dripped venomously at the word. "I'll just have to find some new ones, won't I?"

Percy stumbled back. "You- You wouldn't."

Kronos smirked. "I think you know the answer to that, sea spawn."

Without warning, Kronos swung. Percy ducked as Backbiter skimmed the top of his head.

Percy was forced into the defensive immediately as Kronos pushed him back. He was barely matching the Titan's slashes with Riptide.

He wasn't sure how long this went on, but at one point, he realized he could smell the Hudson.

Hudson. The Hudson River. River. Water. Duh.

Percy could have smacked himself. Calling on all the will power he had left, Percy summoned the river to his aid. Kronos's eyes widened as the river rose over the skyline of New York. He could faintly hear the Spirit of the Hudson yelling angrily in the distance, but he easily tuned the annoying voice out.

Kronos was forced back as an enormous wave hit him. When it receded, the Titan was good two hundred feet away.

Percy warily stalked up to him, anger boiling in his blood. He knew he shouldn't be so reckless, knew he should listen to Annabeth's reprimanding voice in his head, but he only stopped when they were almost nose to nose.

"Don't you dare touch my friends." Percy threatened, his voice dangerously low.

Kronos was breathing hard. "Wouldn't dream of it." His gold eyes burned with a vicious hatred. "Not with you in the picture."

The air was getting dangerously hot.

Kronos grinned menacingly. "So we'll just have to take you out."

Percy didn't realize what was happening until it was too late.

Kronos started to glow, his aura taking up Percy's vision. He knew he was too close to get away.

Percy closed his eyes tightly, but he knew it was too little, too late. He felt blackness pulling on the edge of his conscious, on the edge of his soul.

Percy felt excruciating pain as it took over him completely, followed by the silence of complete numbness.

* * *

Kronos chuckled darkly as the Son of Poseidon disintegrated into golden ashes. Oh, this was going to be fun.

* * *

**AN:**

**This is my first attempt at a multi-chap. My goal is to update at least once a week, but sadly, I can make no promises.**

**In case you were wondering, this is set in The Last Olympian, Chapter 11: We Break a Bridge, but with my own twist.**

**Don't worry, Percy isn't dead. At least, not yet.**

**And, yes, I've noticed they're all sort of OOC, and I'll try my best to fix that. And if you're wondering why Percy's fighting is worse than it is in the books, I can chalk that up to two reasons. A) I think he's too worried about Annabeth to concentrate properly, and B) I can't write action.**

**Sorry for the cliché title.**

**Before I leave you guys with this cliffhanger, I have to send a big thanks to HecateA, who gave me the inspiration for this story with the one-shot Zero to Hero. If you like major spoilers, (or are just plain awesome), I suggest you go check it out right now.**


	2. Chapter 2

Percy's feet scuffed over the dirty streets of Manhattan, dislodging pebbles and scattering them in all directions. He shivered lightly as he watched one skit under the feet of a disgruntled-looking business man talking into his earpiece. The man shot him a dirty look, which Percy returned with a glare. He was_ so_ not in the mood for this.

Needless to say, Percy was absolutely miserable. He was stuck on the frostbitten sidewalks of the Meat Packing district, teeth chattering as he cleared a slow path through the early morning fog, _(why was it this cold anyway? It was the middle of March, for crying out loud!),_ dodging people as they dashed around him on their way to work, probably not caring if they ran him over. He'd been turned out onto the street, and he probably couldn't go back home for at least half a day. Not that he wanted to.

Well… Technically speaking, it was Percy who left the house in the first place. But it was the same outcome either way. He was out here, alone, at 6 in the morning, in the heart of the busiest city in the world.

That was the downside, he supposed. But the upside, the amazing upside, was that Gabe wasn't here. And that was enough to make anyone's day. Not that it should. The jerk face shouldn't even be in his life in the first place. Or his mom's. Or anyone's, for that matter. It was bittersweet, because even though Gabe should just go die in hole, even though it was windy and chilly and everything spring break was _not_ supposed to be, he'd escaped from that moody and destructive _thing_ that had been woken up 8 hours ahead of schedule because of some stupid call from work.

Percy sighed irritably; running a shaking hand through his hair, messing it up more than it had been and causing it to stand up in all directions. He'd been walking around for about a half hour, (not that he cared, or anything), and he wasn't getting any warmer. The chill bit through his ratty hoodie, and he was frozen to the bone. The smart thing was to find his mom at Sweet On America, but ever since her boss had incited a life-long ban on him from ever entering the candy store after what happened last time, _(he did say he was sorry for blowing up the toffee machine! What more did they expect? But at least his mom hadn't gotten fired_…), he'd probably be stuck outside. Again.

Besides, he didn't he could stand that look of disappointment on his mom's face when she found out he left. Even though he knew that she wouldn't mind, that her sympathy would show through when she found out, he just… he couldn't be the reason to put it on.

He didn't deserve her. Simple as that.

Percy's breath clouded in front of him as he came to an abrupt halt, earning a few curse words thrown his way. He couldn't just stay out here, pacing New York in circles endlessly. That wouldn't help anything. In fact, his best bet was to find some store and stay there until he got kicked out for loitering.

Percy dug his hands into his pockets and swiveled in place, heading in the opposite direction. Now he just had to find somewhere that seemed friendly enough to not notice a scruffy teen pacing its aisles, not buying anything.

That would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Nevertheless, he kept a sharp eye out. There had to be one or two around here, right?

Percy exhaled, shaking his head, and glanced at his feet. This was hopeless.

He was too busy feeling sorry for himself that he almost didn't notice the flash of blinding golden light in the corner of his eye.

Key word: almost.

Percy gasped and whipped his head up. He hadn't realized he'd ended up next to a narrow alleyway between a retailer and a restaurant. A dumpster took up most of it, obscuring his view. He took an unconscious step towards it.

He shook his head to clear it. What was he doing? He couldn't just walk into a deserted alleyway. It'd probably just a trick of the light anyway. It was nothing… nothing special.

Percy peered farther in.

Ah, whatever. He had nothing better to do.

He walked forwards, pausing as he came to the invisible barrier of shadow and light. Taking a deep breath, he stepped in. He shivered violently as a sudden cold took him, ten degrees cooler than it had been. This was starting to seem like a really bad idea…

Abandoning his sense of judgment, Percy continued on. He skirted around the dumpster, crinkling his nose at the smell of rotting food. A rat's eyes flashed red at him before skittering away. Holding his breath, he made it to the other side.

A rush of disappointment left him. There was nothing here. Sighing, he turned in defeat. Just another false hope. But as he reached the dumpster, he was stopped by a soft, noncommittal grunt.

He froze, one foot still in the air. Slowly, carefully, he turned. He inhaled sharply as he saw a shadow at one wall shift in position. A low moan followed it. Percy stood, immobile, staring blankly at it. It was probably just a homeless person… but why, why did this feel important?

_Duh,_ a small voice muttered in his mind. _It probably wants to rape you or something._

Percy ignored it, and almost against his will, took a small step forward.

"Hey." He whispered. "You okay?"

He was met by silence. Percy swallowed. "Hey." He repeated. "Come on. Are you okay?"

The figure didn't look like he was ready to respond. Percy took another step towards it. "Serio-" His words turned into a started yelp as the figure leapt up faster than Percy could follow. He couldn't make out its features in the darkness, but he could tell it was looking around itself frantically. Percy could clearly see the tension in his shoulders… Or maybe that was something else…

Percy yelped as he identified it. "Oh my god! You're… You're wearing armor!" A small grin split his face before he could stop it. "Awesome."

The person turned, its eyes meeting Percy's. His smile slipped off his face. He tripped over a lone strip of cardboard as he backed up. "Uh… Hi?" He was stopped abruptly as his back hit the metal dumpster.

The figure took a step forward. Judging on its height and build, it couldn't be more than 18.

An 18-year-old wearing armor was approaching him in a dark alleyway. Yeah. This day just couldn't get any better, could it?

Percy held his hands up defensively. "Don't come any closer! I can… can hurt you!" Percy hated the inkling of doubt that worked its way into his voice.

The figure stopped. Percy's eyes were starting to adjust to the dark, and he could now make out midnight hair framing a tanned face. His voice was distinctly male when he spoke. "Wait… Kid, do you think I'm going to hurt you or something?" The guy chuckled dryly. "Why the heck would I do that?" He spread his arms. "Do I look intimidating?" He paused. "Don't answer that."

Percy lowered his arms warily. "So… you're not attacking me?"

"Why would I?" The guy shot back. His words turned weary. "Look. Don't take this as a weird question or anything… I mean, it sort of is, but really-"

"What?" Percy snapped.

"Where am I?"

Percy stared at him. "Seriously?"

The guy sighed. "Just… just answer the question."

"Uh… You're in New York."

The guy's head snapped up, his face ashen. He strode forward until he was gripping Percy's shoulders. Sea green eyes bored into his. Percy's voice died in his throat. When the guy spoke, his voice was almost inaudible.

"I'm where?"

"You're in New York." Percy said after a considerable pause. When the guy didn't reply, he said, "You know, New York? Manhattan? The Big Apple? It's pretty famous, you know."

He let go of Percy's shoulders, stepping back shakily. "I'm in New York." He muttered under his breath.

"You deaf or something? I just said tha-"

"Shut up." The guy hissed between his teeth, turning away from him. "I'm in New York. That means…" Percy didn't know it was possible for people to go paler than he did. A part of him vaguely wondered if it was possible for someone to go so pale they became see-through. He shrugged the thought off before it could expand, and struggled to bring himself back to the present.

"Don't tell me to shut up!" Percy said hotly.

"Gods, Kronos wouldn't…" He whirled to face Percy again. "Another weird question."

"Hey. Did you just say-"

"Listen to me! Just… What's the date today?"

"I'm not that good with-"

"What is it?!"

"Fine, fine! It's, uh, March 21st, I think."

The guy froze. "And the year?"

Percy raised an eyebrow. "How long have you been in that alley?"

"Just… Please."

Percy sighed. "It's 2005. Happy?"

The guy looked like he was about to faint. "Oh gods…"

"You said it again!"

The guy didn't seem to have heard him. Instead, he backed up until he met the slimy brick at the back of the alley. His armor made a distinct clang as he slid down it slowly, all energy drained. Percy was amazed at how easily this guy had changed. One moment, he'd been giving him an interrogation worthy of the CIA, and now he looked as if he had just seen death.

_Maybe he has._ A voice whispered at the back of Percy's mind.

_Shut up._ He told it.

Percy swallowed, and approached the guy carefully, who now had his head in his hands. "You have back here a while, haven't you?" He took a few more careful steps. In the darkness, Percy could see he had gone stark white under his even tan. He didn't look as if he had been cooped up in one place for an extended period of time.

Then again, he was in armor from Rome or somewhere ancient like that, and said gods, as in, more than one. He might have been cooped up in one place for way longer than Percy thought.

He chuckled weakly. "Hey, it's fine. I haven't been out much either." It turned bitter. "And not for lack of trying."

The guy looked up at him sharply. "What?"

Percy backtracked, trying to steer the conversation away from himself. "You are okay, right? Because I can't really do much… if you aren't." He finished lamely. The guy stared up at him. "I mean, if you're fine, I'll just be… going now."

He started to edge away, but the need to escape had somehow dissolved from panic to something else. However much he wanted to leave, he couldn't. It was almost like he was rooted to where he stood. Something about this guy… He was almost familiar. Like a face you see once when you're four, and then again when you're eleven. Something on the tip of your tongue, but buried in the recesses of your mind.

Percy shook his head to clear it. That was crazy. He hadn't met this guy before. Ever. He thought he'd remember someone who wore what looked like real bronze armor. And who looked just like him.

Wait, what?

Percy paused, and studied him closer. He had the same hair, the same eyes, which was weird, because Percy didn't know anyone else with the exact same shade. The way their noses shaped off was strangely similar, but that was hardly rare, right?

Percy jolted, realizing guiltily that the guy was speaking to him, voice becoming increasingly louder. "-id, you alright? Seriously, snap out of it!"

"I'm… I'm fine." Percy mumbled, embarrassed. "I just… zoned, I guess."

The guy looked at him oddly, and Percy saw that he'd risen up to his full height again, a good head-and-a-half taller than he was. Percy didn't know how the guy managed to get up in that armor without keeling over, much less without a sound. He seemed used to being in it, as if it was just a second layer of skin.

_Focus, Percy. _He thought.

"You zoned?" The guy asked, skeptical.

Percy rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. Just thinking, I guess."

The guy raised an eyebrow, before slowly turning away from him. Percy stumbled, expecting him to pull a sudden weapon, (though at this point, he was starting to seriously doubt that would happen), but he saw, to his surprise, that the guy had just shed his armor. It seemed to slip off him naturally, landing with resounding clunk on the ground. Underneath, he saw the guy was wearing a simple orange t-shirt with faded jeans. He looked like a modern teenager, not someone who had just stepped straight out of Sparta.

He faced Percy again. His eyes were bright, almost feverishly so, and Percy could see faint worry lines crossing laugh lines at the corners of his eyes. He noticed the guy was wringing his hands nervously, putting them in his pockets, taking them out, messing with his hair, and starting all over again in an agitated cycle. He gave Percy a strained grin. "New York, huh?" He took a deep breath, and made to step past Percy, who was still blocking the narrow distance around the dumpster. "Might as well go-"

He stopped in his tracks to look at Percy again. His eyes were wide, and his expression made Percy trip back. The guy stared at him as if seeing him for the first time. "Come here." He said quietly, and Percy had to strain to hear.

"What?" He asked, startled.

"Just…" The guy sighed, exasperated, but Percy caught the faint current of panic riding underneath. Percy yelped as the guy lunged forward, grabbing his arm. Percy squirmed in his grip, but the guy didn't pay attention.

Holding his breath, the guy raised one hand, and Percy flinched instinctively. The guy hesitated, before laying his hand on Percy's face, pushing up one lock of hair. The guy's skin was hot against Percy's, but he felt cold when he realized what he was looking at.

He shook out of the guy's grip, quickly letting his hair fall back into place. The scar ran from under his hairline to an inch above his left eyebrow, a thin white line that was seen by no one. It was Percy's excuse for letting his hair grow long, even though he knew that it couldn't be seen by anyone, except those looking closely. There was absolutely no way the guy had noticed in the dim light that made up the alleyway.

Percy matted it down, and glared at the guy. "What are you doing?" He hissed between his teeth. To his surprise, the guy backed away a few steps, tripping over his own feet. He looked like he'd just seen a ghost, which, compared to what he had looked like earlier, was saying something.

"_Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods_." He muttered, staring at Percy. He looked like he was shivering slightly.

"What?" Percy snapped. He was really getting tired of his questions going unanswered. In fact, he was getting tired of this guy in general.

Not surprisingly, the guy didn't answer. Instead, he looked up at the sky. "Why me?" He asked under his breath, before looking Percy in the eyes, a mirror image. "Come with me."

"Excuse me?"

"Just… Kid, all you need to know is that you're in danger. You have to stay with me."

Percy flinched. "I'm in danger? Since when?" _Since always._

"Since… Uh, yeah. Just come on."

"Why?"

The guy looked at him. "Do you want to die?" Before Percy could retort to that, the guy had his arm in an iron grip, and was hauling him out of the alley, into sunlight that blinded him.

"Hey! Hey, wait!" Percy protested. The guy kept walking, dragging Percy behind him. "I don't even know your name!"

The guy stopped in his tracks, and Percy stumbled. The guy faced him, and for the first time, he could see how tired he really was. Dark bags hung under his eyes, and he looked like he was dead on his feet. The guy hesitated. "My name is, um… Sam! Yes, my name is Sam."

Percy looked at him disbelievingly, "Your name is Sam?"

The guy, Sam, started walking again. "Yup."

"Where are we going?" Percy yelled, dodging pedestrians as Sam barged his way through.

Without looking back, Sam growled, "Sweet On America."

* * *

**AN**

**Uhh… Heh heh. I said a week, right? And it's now, what, a little under a month?**

**My (belated) New Year's resolution? Don't make promises you can't keep. Wise words, my friends.**

**I have a whole line of excuses lined up for not updating, ****_(school, extracurricular activities, chores, etc.)_****, but then I realized, the only reason why I hadn't written more than two paragraphs is that I had a mild case of writer's block. Which, I might add, conveniently wore off enough for me to post 3 new one-shots. **

**I really started writing this on Monday. I threw everything out the window, and said, "You know what? Today will be the day I shall try to appease the Internet!"**

**And then I wrote like a madman.**

**But halfway through, in a moment of weakness, my sister stole the computer to do her Spanish homework.**

**Stupid Spanish.**

**So, yesterday and today, I finished writing it. I was rushing a little, which is why you guys ended up with this load of crap.**

**TechnicalTragedy, I dropped the March 21****st**** reference just for you. Read and remember, my friend. Read and remember. Glen Coco, I'm not sure if you're as bad, but I give you the same advice.**

**As for the title, the more I thought about it, the more I hated it. And Equinox made sense in my head… Somehow…**

**Reviewing would be awesome; I'd love to see what you guys think.**

**Thanks to HecateA, Mimiscout, and Glen Coco for reviewing.**


	3. Chapter 3

Annabeth curled in on herself, wind whistling through her hair. She rocked back and forth on Blackjack's back, a groan escaping her every time he flapped his wings. Numbly, in the back of her mind, she registered a worried whinny sent her way, and she felt the Pegasus adjust himself under her so she wouldn't fall off. She shivered, cold seeping into her. At this point, she honestly wasn't sure if it was because she was flying at high speed over Manhattan, or something else. Something else that she didn't want to think about.

Annabeth pressed her face into Blackjack's warm mane, desperate. _Everything hurt._ Her head hurt, her body hurt, her _stomach hurt_. Oh gods, she could feel it eating it away at her. She could feel the hurt racing through her, lacing its way through her veins, an unstoppable force determined to plunge her into darkness. And the scary thing was, she half wanted it to. Just to stop this pain.

Annabeth nudged her hand slowly, slowly, _oh gods_, and brushed it. She shrieked, and Blackjack faltered momentarily beneath her, before pushing on, quicker than before. Panting, a few stray tears leaked out, leaving clear tracks on her grimy face. Instantly, she hated them. She was Annabeth Chase! She couldn't afford to… to…

The tears came again, hot and heavy, but she made no attempts to stop them. It hurt to think, to do anything, because everything, _everything_, was the pain.

_Oh gods_.

It was consuming, swallowing her from the inside out with gnashing teeth. She wanted to close her eyes, she wanted to give in, to just stop fighting it, because…

_Oh gods_.

No! She had to… Percy… Was he okay? The Seaweed Brain, he was probably going out of his mind with worry. It felt good, amazing even, to have someone else worry about you. Because the gods knew Annabeth wasn't.

She screamed into Blackjack's mane as the pain spiked her relentlessly, a hundred, no, a thousand times worse than the dagger had ever been. It had been coated in poison, Annabeth knew. Why, why had she done it? Percy would have been fine, he had the Achilles' Curse, but she had… Why had she done it?

_Oh gods._

_Don't fall under Annabeth_, she ordered herself. _Don't… do it._

Her body wracked violently, and if Blackjack hadn't steadied himself, she would have fallen off of him to her death. Dimly, she felt Blackjack's steady descent. She leaned forward, eyes shut tight.

_Oh gods._

She jolted as Blackjack's hooves hit the ground, and she started to roll off of his body, powerless to stop it. She braced for the impact, but Blackjack caught her on his wing, slowing her fall, until he was able to slide himself under her. She didn't know how he did it, but she was grateful. She huddled against him, wincing at his loud neigh.

The pain, _oh gods, _she couldn't take it anymore. She was going to die, and Percy…

Oh gods, she was going to _die_.

In the back of her mind, she heard someone yelling her name, panic threaded in their voice.

But she had already given in.

* * *

_Annabeth laughed, leaves whipping through her hair as she raced through the trees. Shafts of sunlight came through the branches, warming her even as she ran into the shadows, only to come out in another beam. She heard a faint voice behind her. _

_"Annabeth! Where are you? I think I just heard the conch!"_

_Annabeth giggled in a very un-Annabeth way. Leave it to Percy to use food as an excuse to catch up to her. Or maybe it could be a way to get her to stop running. A frown worked her way onto her face, and she came to a stop, squinting into the sky. No, lunch had been a couple of hours ago, and it was too early for dinner…_

_She shrieked as a pair of arms wrapped around her, swinging her up into the air in a circle. "Percy!"_

_She heard him laugh as he put her down. "Victory! I've managed to trick a daughter of Athena!" He paused, "Wait. I just tricked a daughter of Athena." He spun Annabeth around to face him. "Who are you, and what have you done with Annabeth Chase?" _

_Annabeth caught a twinkle of mischief in his eyes, and grinned. "Surprising. The one person who manages to trick a daughter of Athena is a son of Posiedon."_

_Percy took a step back and put a hand over his heart in mock pain. "Wow, Annabeth. That hurt. Right here." _

_Annabeth laughed and put her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. "Good." She whispered. And then she kissed him. His lips were soft against hers, and she melted into it._

_Wait. What was this? Annabeth opened her eyes, to see that Percy's were open too. And they were pure gold._

* * *

The dream changed.

* * *

_Annabeth was floating in darkness, balancing on what looked like pure obsidian. It was like the Underworld, but worse. It seemed to press on her, crushing her lungs, a slow suffocation. The only other person there was Percy, but at the same time, it wasn't. His eyes glowed gold, and he smiled sickly down at her. To Annabeth's horror, he started to transform. He grew taller, his dark hair getting lighter until it became a sandy blonde. His build got more muscular, and he grinned menacingly down at her._

_"Luke." She murmured. His eyes flashed. No, not Luke. Kronos. _

_He laughed as he glared down at her. He spread his arms wide. "Annabeth. Long time no see."_

_Annabeth's stomach dropped. "What are you doing here?" Annabeth cursed herself. She knew exactly why he was here. Her asking him such a pointless question made her seem weak._

_Kronos smirked. "Just showing you a glimpse of the future, my dear."_

_Annabeth looked at him in shock. "But… But that-" She swallowed. "That's my future?"_

_Kronos shrugged. "It might be. I'm the Titan of Time, after all." He met her gaze. "As much as your petty gods would like to ignore it, they'd all be nothing without me. Time would collapse without my life-force." He smiled. "In fact, they should be falling over themselves thanking me." Blinding gold flashed in front of her eyes unexpectedly, making her cry out, but when the spots faded from her vision, she saw she was looking at thousands, maybe millions, of images, all moving faster than she could follow, in a stream that extended into the distance. Every so often a trail of light would break off to form a smaller branch, which traveled alongside the main glow, always branching off until smaller and smaller subdivisions before eventually disappearing in a brilliant flash._

_ Annabeth shivered. "It's beautiful."_

_Kronos stood at her shoulder. "It is, isn't it?" He reached out to touch it, and the light wrapped around his hand, as if trying to pull him in. He spread his fingers, and the stream parted around them, until only one strand was left. He closed his hand into a fist around it and pulled it out of the main river of images. He lifted it close to himself and opened his palm._

_Annabeth gasped as the image expanded, the pictures slowing down enough until she could make individual scenes. She saw two people, talking over a textbook in a library. She recognized her mother, looking as she always did, and… was that her father? He looked younger, happier. She saw him opening a door to see a golden cradle on his doorstep, not noticing the curl of warm wind around it. She saw herself, younger, screaming as spiders attacked her at night. She saw herself and Luke, who was trying to teach her to use the dagger, while Thalia laughed in the background. She saw Chiron walking herself and Luke through camp, both of them with stoic expressions on their faces. _

_The images got faster. Herself and Percy clinging to each other on a waterslide on their first quest. Herself and Percy getting lifted on the campers' shoulders after they won a chariot race. Herself and Percy stumbling through the labyrinth. Herself and Percy-_

_Kronos swiped a hand through the images, and they melted back into the stream. Annabeth rounded on him. "But that was me! How did you-" She took a deep breath. "How did you get that?" _

_Kronos smirked. "I'm the Titan of Time. You see," His face was lit eerily in the half light, and turning his hair gray and casting phantom wrinkles onto his face, "time's like a parade. You mortals and gods, you see it one float at a time, one after the other, unstoppable. I, however, see the parade from above, all the twists and turns." He took a deep breath. "Every possibility, all at my fingertips."_

_Annabeth stared at the time stream. Each one, chronicling billions upon billions of lives, of events, every time frame of a millisecond going back before mankind even existed. It blew her mind. "Why are you telling me this?"_

_Kronos met her eyes. "Oh, I'm not. I'm showing you _this_." He pointed to another time stream, which slowed as he came nearer. Annabeth could immediately see this one was different. Unlike the bright and random flashes of color that made the up the others, this one seemed muted. It moved lazier than the others, swerving randomly, and the individual streams flowing around it drifted away, as if it was contaminated._

_"I can't control time, girl." Kronos murmured. "It's a force completely independent from me. I can harness it, but I can't control it. But under special circumstances," His voice turned icy, and he grabbed the strand, tugging it out from the river. "we come to an agreement." The Titan cupped his hands around the dimly pulsing strand, and held it up to his eyes, so Annabeth could just barely see the dull light coming through his fingers. "Your friend Percy," Kronos continued conversationally, ignoring Annabeth stiffening beside him. "is a special circumstance."_

_He let the time line go, and it became larger. But unlike the strand Kronos had shown her earlier, this one showed a single moving scene, like a video. In it, Annabeth saw the bustling streets of New York. The video zoomed in on two boys. One looked around eleven or twelve, and thoroughly disgruntled and annoyed as he was dragged behind the other person. The other was a teenager, with dark hair, and, oh gods…_

_"Percy." Annabeth reached out, but the video let her hand pass harmlessly through, a hologram. "What…?" She studied the twelve year-old. He had black hair, like Percy, and looked so familiar…_

_She stumbled away from it; backing into a wall that she swore had not been there a moment before. "What did you do?" Annabeth whispered, horrified._

_Kronos grinned, gold eyes impossibly bright. He clasped his hands behind his back. "The Fates disapprove of me messing with the time stream." He stared at the image. "But it's mine. Percy's invincible, you know." He turned back to her. "Annabeth, I assume you realize when an immortal is in its true form, mortals disintegrate?" When Annabeth didn't answer, he continued. "With Percy, the opposite happened. He catapulted himself back, and with a little tweaking, what do you know," He sneered, "he ends up 4 years in the past, with his defenseless 12-year-old self."_

_"But… but that's impossible." Annabeth breathed. "It could disrupt the entire time frame and the prophecy-"_

_"Can you feel it, Annabeth?" Kronos interrupted quietly. "Time adjusts itself. Everything that Percy changes in the past, something changes here." He turned to her, and the video melted behind him, melding into the time stream, before both disappeared, plunging them into darkness. "And what would happen, Annabeth, do you think?" Kronos's voice was everywhere, but nowhere all at once, surrounding her. She spun, trying to find it, before crashing into another wall. She stepped away, breathing heavily, and hit another one. She thrust her hands out, and found them on both sides of her. She was boxed in, unable to escape. "If he was removed from this future entirely?"_

_Annabeth screamed._

* * *

Annabeth awoke with a gasp. She tried to sit up, before everything hit her full force. The pain, oh gods, it was back. She found herself being lowered back down cautiously. Annabeth looked up, to see the face of Silena hovering over her, concern creasing her perfect features. "Gods, Annabeth. You had us so worried. I mean, if Blackjack hadn't gotten here earlier; you almost burst into flames from all the nectar-"

"Silena?" Annabeth interrupted. "What happened? Where's… Where's Percy?"

_Please,_ Annabeth begged her silently. _Please, please tell me it was just a dream… just a regular nightmare. _But she knew it, the cold, horrible truth. She was a demigod. She didn't have regular dreams.

Silena hesitated, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear in unease. "Annabeth," She started slowly. _Please, please, please_. Annabeth held her breath. "Michael… Michael called earlier." Silena exhaled heavily and kneeled down so she was level with Annabeth. "Percy's gone."

* * *

**AN**

**Okay, it came to my attention last chapter that some of you guys didn't understand what was happening. So this is for you, and I hope it clears some things up. I mean, I planned for it to be a filler anyway, but now I had some incentive.**

**I feel so awesome, updating twice in two days. I never thought this would happen. Ever. But I was feeling bad about the last update, so I decided; what the heck. Let me treat them to chapter 3.**

**I was halfway through the first part of Annabeth's dream when I remembered they weren't dating yet. Well… whoops. But I used my amazing author magic to work it in anyway.**

**I like this chapter. I mean, I ****_really_**** like this chapter. You guys have no idea. **

**I sort of borrowed that line "time is like a parade" thing from the character of Clockwork in Danny Phantom. I liked it, but sadly, I couldn't ask Butch Hartman personally to use it. So, yeah…**

**I don't know when the next update will be. My New Year's resolution comes back to haunt me: no promises. I'd say reviews make me update faster, but you guys know that isn't exactly true. But I still want you to review! That would be amazing. All of them are helpful, whether you know it or not.**

**Thanks to Mimiscout, NightmarishStar, Blueh, GirlHayley, and Blitzing Riptide for reviewing.**


	4. Chapter 4

The phrase took a few moments to click in Percy's mind. Why in the world would Sam feel the need to go candy shopping? Percy had long since established that he was officially nuts, but this seemed like a bit of a long shot, even for him.

But, wait… What if Sam was…?

"Hold it!" He yelped, digging his heels into the pavement. Sam faltered for a moment, before pushing on, dragging a helpless Percy behind him. This would be _so_ much easier if Sam wasn't determined to haul him along like a stray dog, but he seemed to have gotten the idea into his head that if Percy got more than five feet away from him, he'd be murdered.

_Well_ then.

But Percy had to know. As a last resort, he flailed out his free arm, latching onto a nearby subway pole that jutted out from the side of a set of stairs. The pole felt slimy under his fingers, and Percy could almost feel his fingers sticking to it. Percy didn't really want to know_ what_ was on it, and therefore pushed it out of his mind.

Sam stopped, gazing back on Percy with a look of disbelief. He seemed to have been under the impression that Percy would just follow him, and seemed thoroughly annoyed that Percy had made this unplanned and uncalled rest stop.

Percy gritted his teeth. "Why do you want to go to Sweet On America?"

Sam opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again, making him look like a gaping fish. "Uh… Would you believe I had a sudden craving for-"

"You want to see my mom, don't you?" Percy deadpanned, interrupting Sam's half-baked fib.

Sam let go of Percy's arm to run a hand through his hair. "I knew I couldn't lie to you." He muttered under his breath, and Percy got the feeling that he wasn't meant to hear.

Percy crossed his arms; discreetly shaking the one Sam had held. He glared at the offender. "Look, I don't how you know about where my mom works, or how you knew about the scar," he balled his fists at that one. "or why you think I'm going to just keel over and die without you, but I do know that you're insane. Absolutely, one hundred percent, wacko." He straightened, trying to look as intimidating as possible. "And now I'm going to walk away. And there is nothing you can do to stop me."

He turned his back on Sam, stuffing his hands into his pockets and hunching his shoulders. But, just as he'd suspected, Sam appeared in front of him. "Look, Percy, please. This isn't just about me, and it's not just about you." His gaze hardened. "This is way more important than you realize. It affects all of this." He swept his arm around, gesturing to the countless buildings and people around them.

Percy narrowed his eyes. "Oh yeah? How?"

Sam stared at him for a moment, and his shoulders slumped. "You're going to hate me forever for this, but," he hesitated, "I can't tell you."

"Right." Percy said scathingly. "Of course you can't."

"Really! I can't!" Sam insisted. "Like, as in, it would seriously mess up the universe for you and everyone else if I tol-"

"You sure you're not on drugs?" Percy interrupted.

Sam ground his teeth together, and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "Please, Percy. Just… Believe me when I say that you can't even _begin_ to understand what's at stake here."

Percy studied him. He was obviously asleep on his feet, but he could practically _see_ the adrenaline coursing through him. He seemed completely alert, didn't look at all like he was hallucinating _or_ out of his mind.

Of course, Percy had heard they never did.

But there was something about this guy… Something that he couldn't place. A familiarity that struck him deep down.

Percy sighed. "Fine. Just… let me… let me talk to her first." He narrowed his eyes at Sam. "I don't trust you."

Percy could sense Sam's relief. "That's all I ask. Now, come on." Without looking back, Sam set off, and it was all Percy could do to keep pace him.

It wasn't until a couple of blocks later that he realized he'd never told Sam his name.

* * *

All of the tension in Percy started to drain out of him as soon as he stepped onto the cool tiles of Sweet On America. He was surrounded by the beckoning aroma of caramel and chocolate, and the heat immediately warmed his bones.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sam relax. A subconscious smile seemed to play on the older boy's lips, and he ran his fingertips lightly over the blue and white checkered tables. Sam looked like he'd just stepped into a pleasant memory, and he appeared calmer than Percy had ever seen him.

The kitchen door opened softly, brushing smoothly against the floor. Both boys looked up sharply. His mother was standing in the doorway, a red visor set on top of brown hair pulled back into a neat ponytail. Her blue eyes widened as she saw Percy in the doorway. She flitted out from behind the counter to come to a stop before him, kneeling down until they were eye to eye.

"Percy?" She questioned. "Honey? What happened? Are you alright? Was it-" At that moment, she seemed to notice Sam. She looked up at him, frowning. "May I help you?"

Sam had been staring at them with something close to hypnotism. His hands were fists next to his sides, and his mouth was slightly open. He blinked a few times at her voice, slowly snapping out of it. He cleared his throat. "Mo- uh, I mean, Ma'am, I have to talk to you."

His mom raised her eyebrows at his stumble. "Is this about Percy?" She asked coolly.

Sam met her eyes, and nodded. "Yes."

His mom stared at him for a moment longer, before going white. Her mouth opened, horror-struck. "You're… You're from…"

Sam stepped forward, and after a moment's hesitation, put a hand on her shoulder. "Yes." He agreed haltingly. "Look, I… I need to talk to you."

His mom stood shakily. "Of course. Come with me." She grabbed Sam's arm and started to whirl back into the kitchen, but Percy stopped her.

"Wait, Mom. What's going on?"

His mother stopped and stared at Sam. "You haven't…?"

He shook his head. "No. And I don't… I don't plan to."

His mother's gaze was fiery as she turned back to Percy. "Percy, please. This is about something extremely," she squeezed her eyes tightly shut and opened them again, "_extremely_, important. I just need you to stay here."

Percy's eyes flashed. "No. Wait, Mom. I don't understand…"

His mother left Sam's side to stand in front of him. "Oh, honey, I know you don't. You will soon, though, I promise." Her eyes held an unimaginable sadness. "Honey, please… for me. Don't go _anywhere_." She placed a kiss on the top of his head, which might have left Percy embarrassed, but she seemed so somber that he didn't really care. "I love you."

Percy took a deep breath. "Okay, Mom. For you." He glared at Sam over her shoulder, who, for his part, seemed incredibly uncomfortable.

His mother's eyes twinkled. "Now, remember, stay here, Percy. You can help yourself to anything you want." She stepped away, keeping her eyes on him, before grabbing Sam's arm and hauling him inside the kitchen.

The last thing Percy heard from them was Sam saying. "So… You're bribing him with candy?"

* * *

Percy grit his teeth. From what his mom had said, it sounded like they were discussing his fate in there. Which they very well could be. This was _Sam_, after all. And the look on his mom's face…

God, he couldn't take it. He knew he had promised his mom, and the guilt of that made him want to tie himself into his seat, but he just couldn't stand knowing that all the answers were _right there_. Right behind that not-even-locked door.

He got up and slowly started to make his way to the kitchen door. They'd entered only a couple of minutes ago, so they'd probably still be talking. And hopefully not be about to exit.

Percy crept his way behind the counter, placing his feet carefully so they wouldn't squeak. He hesitated in front of the double doors, before crouching on the floor, bringing his knees up to his chest. He laid his ear against the crack on the edge of the door, slowing down his own breathing to make himself as quiet as possible. After a few moments he was able to make out his mom's voice.

"-me get this straight, you _haven't_ told him?"

Sam's voice was ragged. "No. And I meant it, Ms. Jackson, when I said he absolutely _cannot _know."

"Why can't he know?!" His mother exploded, making Percy almost lose his balance. "You've made him too vulnerable now that you're here! He's already teetering on the edge, Sam, and he's about to fall off!"

Sam was silent for a few stretched out moments before he answered, voice soft. "I know that, Ms. Jackson. It's just…" He trailed off. "It just that… if he learns about this now, it would set off a whole train of events that would change the world as you and I know it."

"What do you mean?" His mother asked sharply. And then, "Why have you come to me?"

Sam's voice turned pleading. "Believe me when I say that you're absolutely the only person I can trust. The gods don't know that I exist yet, and Camp-"

"Wait." She interrupted him. "What do you mean by 'don't know you exist yet'?"

"Um…" Sam stalled. "I mean, that they don't know I exist yet. Not for a few more months, anyway."

Percy froze. Was Sam saying what he thought he was saying?

His mother was apparently having the same line of thought. "Are you saying that you're from… from… the future, or something?" He imagined his mom giving a shaky smile, but her wavering voice revealed something else.

Sam took a deep breath. "Yeah, Mom, I am."

Percy felt like he had turned to stone. _What_ did Sam just say? He'd obviously heard him wrong, because there was absolutely _no way_ that he'd just said…

"Oh my gods. _Percy_."

Nope. His hearing was perfectly alright. Which, today, was worst-case scenario.

"Mom." Sam's voice shook. "You don't… You don't know how happy I am to see you."

Her voice was muffled as she enveloped Sam in a hug. "Gods, Percy, what happened? How did you end up here? And…" She hesitated. "What's happening now?"

Percy stood up shakily, backing away from the door. God, (or _gods_, as his mother and Sam,_ ('Sam'), _seemed to so love to say), what… What was going on? He'd never have been pulled into this if he hadn't left home this morning.

Well, at least Gabe wasn't here. And he was getting an _adventure_.

Gods, what was he thinking? He had to get out of here, fast. Sam had obviously fooled his mother, but he was not, _was not_, going to fool him.

Percy didn't care about how much noise he was making, but he just _had to get out of here_.

"I'll come back for you, Mom, I swear."

He burst back out onto the Manhattan streets. He shivered violently. He'd forgotten how cold it was out here.

Percy looked around wildly, before yanking his hood up and high-tailing it down the sidewalk. He had to find a way to get Sam away from his mom… The police, maybe? But no, he had the strangest feeling that Sam would be able to wheedle himself out of that situation.

Then… what? He ducked into an alleyway to think. How could he ever-

Percy froze. A voice behind him breathed down his neck, "Sson of Poseidon. You didn't really think you could keep away for long, did you?"

* * *

**AN**

**Whoo! Chapter Four is up! **

**I know I probably got Sally ****_way_**** out of character, but it was sort of essential to the plot that she acted the way that she did.**

**It's okay about the cookies, Mimiscout. I've heard Glen Coco had some. I'm out to get them.**

**Inspirational songs for this chapter: lots and lots of PhemieC and Detektivbyrån. Their songs are really, ****_really_**** good writing music. They're both on YouTube, if you so wish to find them.**

**Thanks to ****_NightmarishStar, Glen Coco, Mimiscout,_**** and****_ roy23_**** for reviewing!**


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